How Did the National
Women's Conference in Houston in 1977 Shape a Feminist Agenda for the Future?

Abstract

The National
Women's Conference at Houston in November 1977 marked a high point in the
influence of second-wave feminist ideas on policy formulation. Congresswomen
elected during the wave of 1970s feminism, especially Bella Abzug, obtained
the passage of federal legislation that funded the Conference. Grassroots
women's organizations met at the state level and adopted a National Plan
of Action to improve the lives of women. The Houston Conference subsequently
approved the plan. Yet at the same moment these women were able to mobilize
and use government to achieve feminist goals, opponents united to fight
against feminist causes. Phyllis Schlafly and others attacked the Houston
conference and its agenda and created the basis for a new anti-feminist
constituency in American public life. This project presents conference documents,
including all the individual planks considered at Houston, speeches and
debate at the conference, and follow-up evaluations of progress on those
planks in 1988 and 1997.